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Tiffany Smith practices Wednesday in Rock Island for a performance of "Carmen" with Ballet Quad-Cities. The company was among five that performed in New York City with Ballet Builders, a program for new and rising talent.

Heidi Dunn and Kaleb Baker practice Wednesday in Rock Island with Ballet Quad-Cities. The company was among five that performed in New York city with Ballet Builders, a program for new and rising talent.

Andrea Rehm, center, practices Wednesday for a performance of "Carmen" with Ballet Quad-Cities. The company was among five that performed in New York City as part of Ballet Builders, a program for new and rising talent.

Ballet Q-C returns from high point

Tiffany Smith practices Wednesday in Rock Island for a performance of "Carmen" with Ballet Quad-Cities. The company was among five that performed in New York City with Ballet Builders, a program for new and rising talent.

Heidi Dunn and Kaleb Baker practice Wednesday in Rock Island with Ballet Quad-Cities. The company was among five that performed in New York city with Ballet Builders, a program for new and rising talent.

Andrea Rehm, center, practices Wednesday for a performance of "Carmen" with Ballet Quad-Cities. The company was among five that performed in New York City as part of Ballet Builders, a program for new and rising talent.

Choreographer Deanna Carter ended up having to give geography
lessons over the weekend to newfound fans of Ballet Quad-Cities in
New York City.

“People caught me in the lobby and said, ‘Where’s the
Quad-Cities?’ ” she said Wednesday. “I had so many people
(asking).”

Carter was one of five choreographers whose work was chosen for
Ballet Builders, an annual showcase of new and emerging dance
talent. Carter was the only Midwesterner and the lone female
chosen. Eight dancers from Ballet Quad-Cities performed her
15-minute work “Ash to Glass” at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theatre
in Manhattan.

“I also had very great feedback from the people in the field.
Very famous people stopped me to tell me the choreography was
gorgeous, that the company danced beautifully and they liked that
the company has a look that’s unique, that’s different from the New
York companies,” said Carter, who also teaches ballet at the
University of Iowa.

“Ash to Glass” will be performed again next weekend at the
Capitol Theatre in Davenport as part of a program headlined by a
Carter-choreographed version of “Carmen.”

About 200 choreographers competed to be the five chosen for
Ballet Builders, but there was no competition once the dancers got
to New York.

“So many people were surprised to see the level of quality
presented by Ballet Quad-Cities,” Carter said. “It’s a starting
point for them to become recognized nationally.”

Ballet Quad-Cities artistic director Courtney Lyon said much of
the excitement in creating “Ash to Glass” — for which rehearsals
began in February — was in the journey as much as the
destination.

“What our audiences will see next weekend is the end of that
beautiful process of the development,” Lyon added.

Ballet Quad-Cities executive director Joedy Cook, who went with
the dancers, said it gave national validation to the work that’s
been done by the company.

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“It allowed the dancers and myself an up-close-and-personal
experience of where they’re at, and let me tell you, they’re doing
quite well. They held their own in New York City,” Cook added.
“Everyone came home very confident that what we put onstage is
first-class all the way. We deliver nothing but fine performances
for our region.”

Carter said hitting the Big Apple is a dream come true for
performers.

“In the end, going to New York is kind of like going to Mecca.
It’s something that every student who reads Dance magazine dreams
about. It’s the high point. It’s this unreachable goal for most
people as students,” she said. “This company is seasoned
professionals. They didn’t bat an eye. They may have felt nervous,
but I didn’t notice.”

Carter said the company and her choreography were praised for
incorporating modern dance moves into ballet. It is also noteworthy
for its variety of body types and ethnicities.

“The region needs to know what a treasure they have in this
company. It’s not like every other cookie-cutter ballet company in
America,” Carter said. “It is unique.”